▸ 第二天dì èr tiān下午xià wǔ，安ān老爷lǎo ye派人pài rén送sòng来lái一封yī fēng信xìn，请qǐng我去wǒ qù安家ān jiā大dà宅zhái吃chī晚饭wǎn fàn。

The next afternoon, Master An sent a letter inviting me to dinner at the An house.

▸ 安家ān jiā大dà宅zhái在zài城外chéng wài的de小xiǎo山上shān shàng，是shì这zhè一带yī dài最zuì大dà的de房子fáng zi。

The An house stands on a small hill outside town — the largest house in these parts.

▸ 我wǒ到dào的de时候shí hou，天tiān已经yǐ jīng快kuài黑hēi了le。

By the time I arrived, it was almost dark.

▸ 开门kāi mén的de是shì老lǎo康kāng，安家ān jiā的de老lǎo管家guǎn jiā，他tā走路zǒu lù很hěn慢màn，头发tóu fa全quán白bái了le。

The door was opened by Old Kang, the An family's old butler; he walks slowly, and his hair is completely white.

▸ 安ān老爷lǎo ye在zài客厅kè tīng里lǐ等děng我wǒ。

Master An was waiting for me in the sitting room.

▸ 他tā是shì城里chéng lǐ最zuì有钱yǒu qián的de人rén，也是yě shì范fàn太太tài tai最好zuì hǎo的de朋友péng you。

He is the richest man in town, and he was Mrs. Fan's closest friend.

▸ 他tā看起来kàn qǐ lai一下子yī xià zi老了lǎo le很多hěn duō，好像hǎo xiàng很多hěn duō天tiān没有méi yǒu睡shuì好hǎo。

He seemed to have aged all at once, as if he had not slept well for days.

▸ “谢xiè医生yī shēng，你nǐ来了lái le，太好了tài hǎo le。”他tā拉lā住zhù我的wǒ de手shǒu说shuō。

"Dr. Xie, you've come — thank goodness," he said, gripping my hand.

▸ 晚饭wǎn fàn以前yǐ qián，安ān小姐xiǎo jie陪péi我wǒ在zài花园huā yuán里lǐ走了zǒu le走zǒu。

Before dinner, Miss An walked with me in the garden.

▸ 安ān小姐xiǎo jie是shì安ān老爷lǎo ye哥哥gē ge的de女儿nǚ ér，年轻nián qīng漂亮piào liang，平时píng shí最zuì爱ài笑xiào。

Miss An is the daughter of Master An's brother — young, pretty, and usually full of laughter.

▸ 可是kě shì那天nà tiān晚上wǎn shang，她的tā de笑xiào有点yǒu diǎn不自然bù zì rán。

But that evening, her smile was a little forced.

▸ “阿ā龙lóng呢ne？”我wǒ问wèn，“怎么zěn me没méi看见kàn jiàn他tā？”

"Where is Ah Long?" I asked. "Why haven't I seen him?"

▸ 阿ā龙lóng是shì安ān老爷lǎo ye的de养子yǎng zǐ，大家dà jiā都dōu说shuō他tā以后yǐ hòu要yào和hé安ān小姐xiǎo jie结婚jié hūn。

Ah Long is Master An's adopted son; everyone says he is to marry Miss An one day.

▸ “他tā进城jìn chéng了le。”安ān小姐xiǎo jie很快hěn kuài地de说shuō，把头bǎ tóu转zhuǎn开了kāi le。

"He has gone to the city," Miss An said quickly, turning her head away.

▸ 我wǒ听tīng人rén说shuō过guò，阿ā龙lóng喜欢xǐ huan赌钱dǔ qián，在zài城里chéng lǐ欠qiàn了le很多hěn duō债zhài。

I had heard people say that Ah Long likes to gamble, and owes a great deal of money in the city.

▸ 吃chī晚饭wǎn fàn的de时候shí hou，秦qín先生xiān sheng也yě在zài，他tā是shì安ān老爷lǎo ye的de秘书mì shū。

Mr. Qin was at dinner too — he is Master An's secretary.

▸ 他tā年轻nián qīng，说话shuō huà不bù多duō，做事zuò shì又yòu快kuài又yòu好hǎo。

He is young, says little, and does his work quickly and well.

▸ 上菜shàng cài的de是shì小xiǎo梅méi，安家ān jiā的de女仆nǚ pú。

The dishes were served by Xiao Mei, the An family's maid.

▸ 我wǒ注意zhù yì到dào她的tā de眼睛yǎn jing红hóng红hóng的de，好像hǎo xiàng刚gāng哭kū过guò。

I noticed that her eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.

▸ 老lǎo康kāng小声xiǎo shēng告诉gào sù我wǒ，那天nà tiān下午xià wǔ，老爷lǎo ye让ràng小xiǎo梅méi走zǒu，可是kě shì没有méi yǒu说shuō为什么wèi shén me。

Old Kang told me quietly that the master had dismissed Xiao Mei that afternoon — but no one said why.

▸ 晚饭wǎn fàn桌上zhuō shàng，大家dà jiā说shuō的de都是dōu shì范fàn太太tài tai的de事shì。

At the dinner table, everyone talked about Mrs. Fan.

▸ “可怜kě lián的de女人nǚ rén，”安ān老爷lǎo ye小声xiǎo shēng说shuō，“她tā比bǐ你们nǐ men知道zhī dào的de更gèng可怜kě lián。”

"Poor woman," Master An said in a low voice. "She was more to be pitied than any of you know."

▸ 他tā说完shuō wán这zhè句jù话huà，就jiù再也zài yě没有méi yǒu说话shuō huà。

After saying that, he did not speak again.

▸ 安ān小姐xiǎo jie讲jiǎng了le两个liǎng gè城里chéng lǐ的de笑话xiào hua，可是kě shì没有méi yǒu人rén真的zhēn de笑xiào。

Miss An told a couple of jokes from town, but nobody really laughed.

▸ 晚饭wǎn fàn以后yǐ hòu，大家dà jiā准备zhǔn bèi去qù客厅kè tīng喝茶hē chá。

After dinner, everyone got ready to take tea in the sitting room.

▸ 安ān老爷lǎo ye把bǎ我wǒ留下liú xià来lái，轻轻qīng qīng关上了guān shàng le门mén。

Master An kept me back, and softly closed the door.

▸ 他的tā de声音shēng yīn很hěn低dī：“谢xiè医生yī shēng，我wǒ有yǒu一件yī jiàn事shì，只能zhǐ néng告诉gào sù你nǐ。”

His voice was very low: "Dr. Xie, there is something I can tell only to you."

▸ “九jiǔ点diǎn，你nǐ到dào我的wǒ de书房shū fáng来lái，别bié让ràng任何rèn hé人rén知道zhī dào。”

"At nine o'clock, come to my study. Don't let anyone know."

▸ 我wǒ说好shuō hǎo。窗外chuāng wài，天tiān完全wán quán黑hēi了le，风fēng里lǐ有yǒu雨yǔ的de味道wèi dao。

I said I would. Outside the window, the sky was fully dark, and the wind carried the smell of rain.

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